A King is Not God

Among the numerous messages in Parashat Vaera, one of the main ideas is that it demonstrates the political ideological clash between the Torah and other ruling systems. When confronting Pharaoh to release the Jewish People from his bondage, Moshe, our teacher, constantly challenges Pharaoh’s supreme authority over the Jews as well as his sovereignty over the territory of Egypt. When warning Pharaoh about the plagues that will befall Egypt, Moshe remarks, “In order so you know there is none like Adonai our God”, “In order so you know that I am Adonai in the midst of the land, “In order so you know that there is none like Me in the entire earth”, “In order to show you My strength so that My Name will be declared throughout the earth”, “In order so you and Egypt will know that Adonai is Lord over the whole earth”.

The Torah message is clear: God is the King, not the king is god as demonstrated throughout history. This point is the root of the continual conflict between the Jewish People and governments throughout our history. We challenged the mistaken perception that a human/government/state is a god who has the authority to dictate to us as well as others how to live and guide our lives when it comes to right/wrong, good/evil, morality/immorality. Our allegiance is to Adonai, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and His Laws. And as long as the laws of the land we live under do not conflict with God’s Laws then all is fine. However, if the opposite is the case, then we must resist and not surrender to those whose ideologies and ways conflict with our faith and value system, the Torah.  

In addition to the above message, the purpose is to demonstrate to the pagan world that there is One True God who is Lord over the entire earth but also for the Jewish people to remove any doubt they might have due to them being assimilated and affected by the pagan beliefs and culture during their stay in Egypt. The Jewish People also had to be reoriented to the core Jewish values of their ancestors and traditions to prepare them for whether or not they would be willing to accept the Covenant with God.

God through the Torah always employs this method of guiding and subtly bringing us closer to Him. Today, more than ever, we need to be open to the teachings and instructions of the Torah to fight and prevent the constant threat of assimilation that is current as well as the vile antisemitism that is currently prevalent in our country and around the world. We pray, hope, and trust in Adonai, our Lord to help us in our struggle so that we may be able to fulfill His Will, His Torah in more stable and peaceful times.

Shabbat Shalom